Trap.



N. MIETTUNEN.

TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25, 1913.

1,109,652, Patented Sept. 1, 1914,

"2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

moon 4M. moww N. MIETTUNEN.

TRAP.

APPLIOATION FILED rn1;.25, 1913.

1,109,652, Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

2 sums-sum: 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0 PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. c,

TED F f NIKoLAI MIIET'I'UNIEN, or c isrioLm-Mrnnnso'm;

To all whom it, may concern:

Be it known that I, NIKOLAI MIETTUNnn,

- citizen of the United States; residing at Chisholm, in the county. of St; Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefullm'provements in Traps, of which'the following is a specification.

.This invention relates to improvements in animal traps, and hasfor one of its ob jects' to improvethe construction and increase the efliciency and utility-of devices of this'cha'racter. I V

Another object of'the-invention is to-provide a simply constructed animal trap which may be located over a tub or tank of Water or other receiver, and foldable into relativelysmall space when not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed device which is foldable into relatively small space when not in use and maybe distended and main tainedin' open position" by av supporting member and which is also utilized to hold the bait. 1

With these and other objects in viewthe lnvention consists 1n certain novel features of construction asheremafter shown 3 anddescribed and'then specifically pointed out in the claim, and in the drawings illus'-' and disposed'over a-"tank of water.- Fig. 2

is a perspective view of the improved de vice 1n folded or lnoper'atlveposltion. Fig.

H I 3 is a detached view of one of the combined wire supports and bait hOldersJFigfl is a perspective view showing a modification in the construction; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of thedevicejshown' in Fig; 4: and fold- 7 ed.- Fig.6 is a section on the line 66 of cated in all' the views of the, drawings by the I I I p same reference characters. will fold down 'fiat uponfthe base 10, as

4;. Fig. 4;; Fig.7 is afldetail sectional view. illustrating the construction ofthe lock'device for one of thewingsi,"

- Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indi- The improved trapmay be constructed of any size to adapt it to animals of different sizes and species, but is designed morep'articularly for trapping mice, 1 rats and the like, and will be constructed in small size for catchin mice and of larger size for catching. rats-:and'larger animalsl;v

: 1 Specificatio n ofpIlettersIatent. 3

or base member 10 of any required size, but 1 will besufficientlylarge to form aclosure or cover'to' a suitable-receptacle for water or n n I Patentedsept;1,1914, Application filedFebruaryZS, 1913. Serial 1101750376. if 1 I The-improveddevicecomprises a bottom 1 lother liquid inwhich'the trapped animals will be'drow'ned: I

hen the trap is employed for catching rats and like larger animals the base '10'will be sufficiently large to form a closure for a large pail or a small wash tub or the like,

and when employedfor catching micethe base will be sufficiently large to cover' 'a smaller receptaclesuch' es a jar or pail. The base maybe of any required size and of any required; outline, and is provided with an opening 11 preferably rectangular. Pivoted at 12 within the opening are closures 13 which thus-constitute trap doors to.

precipitate the animals through" the open mg and into] the receptacle, represented at pivots 12 are located atsome distance from the outer ends of the members 13, andthe outer ends ofthe opening are inclined in- 14 and containing the wateror other liquid M in which} the animals are drowned. The

'wardly and" downwardly while the closures are correspondingly inclined so that; they :will tilt only 'when the animal passes over :the line of the pivots; The shorter portions of the closures externally of the pivots are heavier -than the longer portions so thatthey will be automatioally retained in position;

iwith their 'upper faces normally in" aline- Iment withthe upper face of the base 10 as shown; in: F igf'6', and will not tiltgdownwardl'yso long as theanimal remains upon I I lighter p'ortionof the closures. Two of the will be "trapped when it approaches from either endhof the'fbase, as' 'hereafter ex? plai'ned.

closures 13 are preferably employed, as shown in Figs." 1'46,;s0 that-the animal- 1 "A wing f2l'is' provided with notches en .1 v

1 united thereto by" pivots 22 so thatthe wing shown in Fig. 2, and over the tilting mem ggagingiover the" cleats 20 and, hingedly here 13. Connected from thebase 10 at the opposite side ef -the opening ll rfr'omthe wing 211 erg-longitudinal cleatilehaving upwardly directed terminals-16, and. eating .18 bears upon the cleat 15 and s. provide 5 with notches-at itseengiato'senssfls @Yer,..h

upturned terminals 16. The pins 17 are inserted through the upturned terminal 16 and into the body of the wing 18 and thus against the wing hingedly to the cleat. The

thickness of the cleat corresponds to the thickness of the wing 21 and thus supports the wing 18 above the base 10 a distance corresponding to the thickness of the wing 21, so that the wing 18 will fold downwardly over the folded wing 21 as shown in Fig.2. a

I, Pivoted at 34: to the wing 18 is a lock bar 35 adapted to engage ina recess or-socket 36 in the base member 10 when the wing 18 is in its elevated or vertical position, and thus lock the wing in position. The member 35 is foldable into engagement with the outer face of the wing 18 when not in use,

as shown in Figs. 2 and 5-. Light springs 37 are preferably connected to the under face of the base 10 andengaged against the thinner longer ends of the tilting devices 13 to assist in supporting the latter against too easy movement, and tolikewise return them positively totheir set or operative position after tilting. i

\Vhen the wings are in their upper position they form a gangway or runway for the animals and thus insure the passage of the animals to the tilting closures. As a means for holding the wings of the trap in-assembled vertical position the present invention employs a wire-bail 24 one: terminal of which is-secured to the wing '18 and the other terminal of which is adapted for de-' tachable engagementwith the wing2 1,.as will behereinafter fully described. In pivotally attaching one terminal ofthe bail 24 to the wing 18. there'is preferably formed on the bail member 24 an eyelet which is engageable witha-staple or similar device carried by the winglS, as indicated at 23. in Fig. 5. The major portion of the bailmember- 2 1 is designed to extend above the upper'edges of the wings 18 and 21iii themanner' of a bucket bail so that at apoint approximately midway of its length it may be-formed with a plurality ,of convolutions" or coils indicated at 27; These coils 27" are adapted to receive an eyelet formed-, on a bait-hook 28, which latter member is em ployed' in holding the cheese or other bait above the tilting devices or trap doors .13. As shown at 25 the bail-member 24: is bent adjacent one terminal to engageover the upper edge of the wingto'which it is'pivoted, 7

dbisi'es at titlsigiutmt niayhvobtainedafor-nveeiits each, by addressing the' commissioner: airmen;

the hook or catch 29 when the trap is disposed in folded position, as shown in Fig. 2, and thus hold-the rod from movement when not in use.

' From the foregoing it will be observed that the bail member 2 not only provides a supportwhereby the bait hook may be suspended above the trap doors of the device but that it also serves to hold the wings l8 and 21 in the desired vertical pOSitiOn when the elements of the trap are in operative assembled relation.

disposed over asuitable receptacle for Water and easily set and baited.

The tilting members l3, it will be noted,

are simple inaction and are automatically reset after eachoperation, and do not requireany readjustment after an animal has been trapped.

In Figs. L5G a slight modification in the construction is shown which may be employed under certain conditions if required.

In the modified structure the cleat or rib 15 is formed without the engaging loop, 26, but a holding. eye 33is connected to the base 10 near the hinged edge of the wing 21 in position to receive the lateral terminal 29, as

By this simple means an efiectual trap is produced which may be 1 shown in Fig. 5, and thus lock the rod 24 to r the base and likewise arrange the rod to asisist in holding the folded wings upon the base. By this means the rod 24 performs the two-fold function of a means for maintaining the wlngs in operative position and also as a'baitsupport in the arrangement shown in Figs. 123,. and performs an additional function of ameans forv holding thewings inclosed positionwhen the modification shown in- Figs. 4:, 5 and 6 is emjployed.

. Having thus described the invention, what ;is claimed-is:

Ina trap, a base having an opening, a spring-pressed closure for the opening, 'wings hinged to the base at opposite sides ;of the opening, a lock-bar pivoted to one lot the wings and having its free terminal arrangedfor insertion in a recess formed in thebase,abaithook and a-bail adapted to suspend-the bait hook above the closure, said bail having one terminal pivotally. secured to one of the wings-"and its other terminal adapted to be detachably secured to the;

other wing whereby the bailco-acts with the lock bar in holding. the wings in operative assembled position.- j In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature in presence of two witnesses. 1 MIETTUNEN. [L. ;s:]-

Witnesses: i 1

MATT ROB TS,

THos. A. HAWSON.

Washington, I). G. 

